Ishaq Dar, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was sworn in as a senator on Tuesday over raucous objections from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) upper house members.
The PTI legislators gathered around the speaker’s podium, yelled epithets decrying Dar as a “thief,” and held signs denouncing the PML-N leader’s acceptance of the oath.
Dar, who represented Punjab in the Senate, was unable to take the oath because he had left the country since 2017.
Dar acknowledged that the government was having a difficult time controlling inflation as he made his way to the Senate by saying that “the value of the Rupee has decreased artificially.”He expressed hope for the future, noting the recent decrease in the pressure on the local currency and the lowering in debt, saying, “We will try our best,” adding, “God has rewarded us with success in the past.”
Dar was sworn in shortly after that, at the Senate session, which was presided over by Sadiq Sanjarani, as the opposition yelled and sang slogans in protest.
In a speech at the event, Federal Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar welcomed Dar to the Senate.
Everyone has skeletons in their closet, Tarar said, adding that “the sanctity of the house should be held into mind.
He continued, “Your objections can be personal, but not in defiance of the law and the Constitution.”